CHAPTER ONE: Katie's Journey: The Play Date

[Laraqua]

[img]http://images.wikia.com/silent/images/6 ... Toilet.jpg[/img]

It doesn't take long for Katie to finish up in the second stall of the toilets and pull open the door. The stressful events of the past seem to recede further and further into a shady and somewhat dreamy world of what may have been as she reaches for the toilet roll. It's quiet. It's cold. It's nothing like her dreams outside so it's hardly as though her 'dreams' may have been repeating itself. She pulls open the toilet door and steps out only to find herself in the men's toilets. This was more than a little strange. On the way in, there was no sign of any urinals or anything of the sort. Now, she can see them clear as day. The toilets themselves are also dirtier than before, which says a lot, because the last toilet had plenty of graffiti and grimy tiles but this one looked even worse.

[Raiko]

Wow!

Katie stops in her tracks, the stall door open behind her. This was just the spookiest thing ever. She was really bursting when she got outa the car, but she was sure she went into the girls toilets. And it's stinky in here too.

Katie is about to shout for mummy, but she decides not to.

Mommy might be mad if she knows I'm in the boys toilet, and grown ups always get mad when they're talking on the phone.

She takes a step towards the sinks, Katie always washed her hands - even after a pee, but these sinks look really icky! She pulls a face and turns to run out of the toilets, "Yuck!"

Maybe mummy will let me have some candy now, we must be nearly there!

[Laraqua]

The water coming out of the sink is blessedly clean but oh so very cold.

The toilet next to her cubicle flushes and another little girl steps out.



"Oh, hello!" She grins at her and goes rushing up to wash her hands at the sink. "Wait, is this the smelly boy's toilets? How'd that happen! I coulda sworn I went into the girl's."

[Raiko]

"Really? Me too!" Katie smiles at the other girl, forgetting about the stinky smell and the inky sink for a moment. And about running back to mummy too.

"My name's Katie. Are you on vacation too?"

[Laraqua]

"Me? No." She shakes her head. "No, I'm a local girl. Been here since forever. So, uh, you're doing the tourist thing? 'Cause if you are, I know all the places you should go!"

"Oh, and my name's Laura." She looks the other girl up and down. "I think we're about the same age. Are you seven?"

[Raiko]

Katie's pride swells, she always knew she acted like a bigger girl, and now an actual seven year old had confirmed it!

"Yes I am!"

Smiling broadly at Laura, Katie asks, "Are there fun things to do in Silent Hill? I didn't want to come, but mummy made me."

She lowers her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "Her therapist said it would be nice."

[Laraqua]

"Are there fun things? Are you kidding me? Haven't you heard? We've got our own Amusement Park!" Laura did a little jump and spin. "Then again, most mommies here on business holidays don't go there so maybe you won't get the chance to see it." She scuffed at the floor with a foot. "I hope you do, though, 'cause it's got soooo many attractions. There's teacup rides and big mascots and ferris wheels and all kinds of things. It's so much fun. Hey, do you wanna go see it? It'd take barely a minute to see it in the distance if you come with me."

[Raiko]

Katie really isn't sure, she knows she should ask mummy first.
But mummy's busy on the phone. And I really, really want to see the amusement park.

"Ok! But only if we run!"

I we run, I'll be back in less than a minute, that's hardly any time at all!
And if I wave to mummy, she'll know I'm ok!

OOC,My six year old really does think like this. I'd never let him out of my sight somewhere like this. Shame on you Cecilia! Lol

[Laraqua]

Laura's eyes light up. "Yes, let's run! That'll be so much cool!" She sneaks over to the door and peeks out.

"Well, we'll have to go halfway down that hiking trail over there but I know a short cut if we go straight down from the toilets. It won't take all that long at all. Ready? Steady? Go!"

Laura darts out of the toilet, scrambles over the fence and starts on down the hill.

Show,the dangers of children who think the world really is safe! Shows you raised him right. :P

[Raiko]

Katie runs after her, trying her best to keep up. She can't wait to see the amusement park!

OOC,Is the car park visible as she leaves the toilets?

[Laraqua]

Katie can see her mother sitting in the parked car, still talking on her mobile phone, and gazing through some paperwork. She'll likely be busy for hours yet without noticing that Katie's missing. Heck, if Katie went and bugged her about seeing the amusement park, she'd probably be told not to and made to sit in the back seat and just wait for those hours until the phone call finally ends.

Laura skids down the leafy slope, swinging off various pine tree trunks, before slipping down onto the path. "Ooh! Can't see it here! Must be a bit further down. Don't worry. Hurry!"

[Raiko]

OOC,Sorry 'bout the slower than expected posting. Bad timing with my wife's asthma :( Should be ok to pick up the pace now. I'll post again if you've replied when I get to work (about 6-7 hours) I'll be offline till then) :) BTW: Your writing is amazing, I spend ages writing big posts, but you post loads and it's all good. :D

Katie scrambles over the fence imagining how much easier it'd be if she was seven like Laura. Then she half runs, half strumbles down the steep slope chasing her new friend.

This is going to be amazing! Laura is fun!

"Wait for me!"

[Laraqua]

Laura just waves at her rather than slowing down and the two thud down the slope until they reach the dirt path that winds between the fog-shrouded trees, zipping this way and that down the slope. "It's so cool! It's really, really cool! There's these Robbie the Rabbits and all kindsa special little stuffed toys we can grab and there's great big rides and this ferris wheel and this roller coaster.... I'm friends with the people that run the park so I get to use all the cool toys when no one's around and I get to use the really cool rides sometimes. This way! C'mon!" She barely seems puffed as she easily keeps just ahead, forcing Katie to hurry after her.

They rush down the path which seems ultra-long but there's no sight of the amusement park through all of the fog. Oh well, it's bound to clear soon. Somewhere, in the distance, there's the sound of someone hacking at a tree, maybe a logger, but not much else. No birdsong, nothing, but the clatter of their feet. It's like they're the only people in the world in this mystical, magical forest. Some of the trees even have broken slivers of mirrors hanging from them on cords, way up high and out of reach, but close enough to reflect the light prettily across the ground.

The path levels out around an old well and Laura tosses Katie a coin. "Go on! Make a wish."

Show,It's all good.

[Raiko]

Gripping the coin between her hands like she praying Katie makes her wish: I wish, I wish, I wish Laura was my friend for ever and ever, she is so cool!

Then she drops the coin into the well and waits to hear a splash.

[Laraqua]

There is a gratifying splash as the coin hits the water and Laura flashes her a big smile. "Awesome! All right, come on, we gotta hurry if we want to see it and get back soon."

She runs along the path and turns to come around the side of a big old church, and unlatches a gate, drawing them into a graveyard. "Check it out. This is Toluca Graveyard. There's a big drop off over there if you want to take a look."

[Raiko]

"A gra-ve-yard! Eiw!" Katie pulls a face. "There aren't any ghosts are there?"

She stands on her top-toes, desperate to get a glimpse of the amusement park without setting foot in the spooky graveyard.

OOC,Katie will accept any explanation her new best friend gives about the safety of the graveyard and will then accompany her to the drop off, excited to see the amusement park. Katie will feel at least twice as brave if Laura holds hands! :)

[Laraqua]

"Exactly, creepy, isn't it?" asked Laura. "But I'm not scared! Come on." She grabs her hand and forcefully leads her across the grassy field until the ground falls away before them, skipping all the way. "We should be able to see the Amusement Park from here if we squint, but I'm not sure. Look at all this fog! It must've rolled in from the lake. How cool is that?" She raises a free hand to shield her eyes from the filtered sunlight, and stares off into the distance. "Wow, it's like standing on a cloud. I can't see anything here. Hmm, maybe we should go further down?"

[Raiko]

"Stupid fog!" mutters Katie. "Okay let's go."

She sets off down the slope, still holding onto Laura's hand. If it wasn't for the stupid fog we'd be able to see it by now!

"How much further?" she asks, "If we walk for a little longer, will we be able to go right to it?"

[Laraqua]

Laura looks at her as though she's just said the cleverest thing ever. "Actually, yes! I'll show you a trick. Hmm..." She pulls a stick of chalk out of her apron pocket and starts drawing an image onto one of the grave markers, humming all the while. It's an image of intersecting wheels upon which she writes, in vertical letters, lakesideamusementpark.

[Raiko]

Filled with curiousity Katie watches Laura chalking on the grave stone, this was weird, she wanted to see the real amusement park, not a drawing! But this was already the weirdest day she could ever remember and Laura was so clever, Katie was sure she knew everything!

As Laura finishes writing across her drawing, Katie smiles uncertainly and asks "Laura? Are you magic?"